Science Experiments for Middle School Students

Kids in middle school are at the age where they can take on more complex experiments and below is a list of experiments for middle school kids.

Atomic/Electric

Static Electricity: Identify what objects conduct static electricity.

Materials Needed: Shoes and various objects.

Step 1: Walk across a rug and touch various objects.

Step 2: Make a chart of columns for the object you touched, the material, and a third column for the results. Record the objects which produced static electricity.

Step 3: Change shoes and repeat – make sure to record the results.

Step 4: Now walk across the rug again. This time, touch an object that didn’t spark and then touch one that did. Did that prevent the object that sparked the first time from sparking again? Record the results.

Inertia/Momentum

Inertia with Pendulums: Observe an object’s movement and what affects it.

Materials needed: 2 large tin cans, sand, and string.

Step 1: Fill one can with sand. Then, hang both cans from the ceiling or another flat surface by string.

Step 2: Give them both a push. Compare how much force was needed to move them.

Step 3: Let them swing.

Step 4: Try and stop them and compare how much force was needed for each.

Chemistry

Tasty Solution: Determine how quickly something dissolves.

Materials needed: 3 small pieces of candy.

Step 1: Place the candy in your mouth without moving your tongue or chewing.

Step 2: Record the time it takes for the candy to dissolve.

Step 3: Repeat except this time, don’t bite but move your tongue.

Step 4: Record the time it takes for the candy to dissolve.

Step 5: Place the candy in your mouth and chew it.

Step 6: Record the time it takes for the candy to dissolve.

Step 7: Compare the results and determine the fastest way to dissolve candy.

Light

Light And Prisms: Observe how light interacts with a prism to produce colors.

Step 2: Take a 2-meter long string and put the ends through the hole and tie them.

Step 3: Do the same with copper wire and the rubber bands.

Step 4: Connect a microphone to the oscilloscope and then connect the speaker to the signal generator which should be set to 1000 hertz.

Step 5: Hold one cup to the speaker and one to the microphone.

Step 6: Observe the oscilloscope and record the wave amplitude shown on it.

Step 7: Repeat the results for each type of material.

Geometry

Lattice Polygons: To prove Pick’s Theorem.

Materials needed: Geoboard with a 5x5 grid of nails.

Step 1: Introduce students to Pick’s Theorem.

Step 2: Count the boundary (outer) pegs and record them.

Step 3: Count the inside (interior) pegs.

Step 4: Apply the formula I+X+B/2+S/2-(F-1), where I is the number of interior pegs, X is the number of points on the interior edge and S is the sum of the number of interior faces. This proves the theory.